Kate Symes

Kate Symes

(she/her)

Washington Improv Theater

Kate Symes took her first improv class because she gave a toast at a wedding, people laughed, and she got a big head about it.

Kate has been performing improv in DC since 2010, and teaching since 2011. She started her training at DC Improv and continued on at WIT. She studied acting, voice, and movement at Studio Theater in DC. She’s taken classes in improv and sketch writing at Second City in Chicago, and workshops with teachers from UCB, Magnet, and People’s Improv Theaters in New York.
Kate is a former member of many fantastic teams, some still in existence and some now deceased (RIP Dr. Girlfriend, The Haddington Club, and Commonwealth). She’s had the pleasure of performing on WIT Harold Teams Telenovela and King Bee, WIT Ensembles Commonwealth and Lizard Girl, and indie teams Sistine Robot and Press Play. She even won FIST once with a team called Going to the Movies Alone. She’s been a part of WIT project shows like Yearbook, Improv Actually, The October Issue, POTUS Among Us, and And Scene. And her magnum opus was the 2017 Improvapalooza fan favorite – Soul Tricycle.
In addition to her improv performance, Kate directed The Fourth Estate, a WIT Director’s Series show that ran throughout winter 2019 to sold-out houses and acclaim from the performers’ parents. Kate wrote and directed a web series called The Newsroom, hosted a late-night-morning-talk-show called Wake Up Late with Denny and Kate, and has been featured on several podcasts nerding out about improv. She sincerely thanks her 15 dedicated fans.


Photo by Jeff Salmore

Favorite Historical Figure
The Corn Kid
Best Dance Move
The Elaine

As a member of WIT’s faculty since 2011, Kate has delighted in teaching all levels of students the principles of improv – support, agreement, listening, and exploration.

Kate is passionate about helping students find their sense of self-confidence, rediscover their ability to play, and take the skills they learn in the classroom into their daily lives or onto the stage. She also thinks it’s cool as heck to play games and laugh with other funny folks LIKE IT’S HER JOB.

Student Feedback

“Kate is a star! Hilarious and confident.”

“Kate is fantastic at providing targeted feedback. She both went above and beyond to make this class a success.”

“Kate gave lots of constructive feedback and created an awesome atmosphere. By far the best class/ instructor I’ve had at WIT.”

Photo by Darian Glover

Favorite Word
Playdoh
Hidden Talent
I can sing all the books of the New Testament to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic